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Reviews

Reviews of my books

For Dirkle Smat Inside Mount Flatbottom:

This is a whimsical adventure story that would be suitable especially for elementary age boys, but girls would like it too, since one of the members of Dirkle Smat’s Explorers Club is a girl. The amusing names of the characters give the story an added humorous touch. Dirkle and his friends are very believable kids, and readers will enjoy documenting their own Explorer’s Club adventures in the back of the book.

———–Richard Marchessault, Carol Stream, IL

I have fond memories of reading mysteries while curled up in my grandmother’s rocking chair. This book is a marvelous gift to children. It uses whimsical language and a mystery they can solve to introduce them to reading. What a wonderful way to introduce your kids and grand-kids to a book they can call their very own.

———–Nancy Lynn Jarvis, author, “The Death Contingency”

Do you or your kids enjoy exploring caves? Dirkle Smat, his younger brother, Quid, and their three friends Fiddy Bublob, Bean Lumley, and Toonie Oobles (for those who might think that this book is only for boys, Toonie is a girl) have formed an Explorers Club. One Saturday morning, the five set off to investigate the opening to a tunnel at the base of Mount Flatbottom. After they had all biked to the mountain, Bean, the inventor, hands each of them one of his BL2 (Bean Lumley Second Generation) cave explorer’s helmets with lights and extra batteries that are supposed to last for four hours. Away they go into the tunnel. Can you guess what amazing discovery they make? And what will they do with the knowledge they obtain?

Most youngsters enjoy reading adventure stories, and Dirkle Smat Inside Mount Flatbottom is a good one. The book is a fun and exciting read, but there is an additional underlying question to make children think. What would you do if you had some special information that a lot of people would like to know and might even make you famous, but that if widely known could adversely affect others? This question should provoke some interesting discussion between parents and children. Author Lynn Garthwaite and her husband have two sons, neither of whom is named Dirkle. But being the father of two boys myself, I suspect that their activities have provided Lynn with many ideas for her books. I give this one two thumbs up. Yoips!

————Wayne S. Walker, Stories for Children Magazine

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For Dirkle Smat and the Viking Shield:

Enhanced with occasional black-and-white illustrations by Craig Howarth, “Dirkle Smat And The Viking Shield” by author Lynn D. Garthwaite is the story of a group of young friends who discover a mysterious box hidden in the roots of an old tree where it had been placed some 300 years ago. A 44-page ‘chap book’ specifically written for young readers ages 6 to 10, “Dirkle Smat And The Viking Shield” is enhanced with bonus pages for children to form their own Explorer’s Club similar to that of the young protagonists Dirkle, his little brother Quid Smat, and friends Toonie Oobles, Fiddy Bublob, and Bean Lumley. Entertaining and engaging, “Dirkle Smat And The Viking Shield” is recommended for family, elementary school, and community library collections for early readers.

———-Midwest Book Review, Oregon, WI

Have you ever gone searching for ancient artifacts? Yoips! Here’s another adventure for Dirkle Smat and his Explorers Club buddies. At Lone Oak Bay on nearby Squabble Lake, a lone oak tree has fallen down during a storm. The ball of dirt surrounding the upended roots is taller than Dirkle. Along with his younger brother, Quid, Fiddy Bublob, Toonie Oobles, and Bean Lumley, Dirkle finds an old metal box while searching through those roots. It contains a letter from 1864 by Desmond Frank Wobnurt, along with a treasure map. However, there is a problem: The site where the treasure is supposed to be buried is now under Squabble Lake! What is the treasure? What new invention will Bean Lumley devise to help them access it? And will they actually find something, or is this all just a hoax?

When I was a child, I loved reading good adventure stories. In fact, I still do now! However, not many exciting adventure books have been written especially for younger readers. Author Lynn D. Garthwaite has come up with another winner. This early reader chapter book should capture the youngsters’ attention and help get them hooked on reading. In addition to being a fun book to read, Dirkle Smat and the Viking Shield introduces children to the historical aspects of Norse visits to the North American continent before Columbus “discovered” America. Any book that emphasizes the importance and enjoyment of exploring our history to young people will get high praise from me. This is a truly enjoyable story.

————Wayne S. Walker, Stories for Children Magazine

In this day of computer Games and cable T.V., It is refreshing to find an exciting and engaging book that stirs a child’s imagination. I gave this book to my two nephews ages six and eight, and was pleased to see them enjoying the adventures of Dirkle Smat and his friends.

I feel this book should be in every school and in the home of everyone who has children. We need to encourage our children to read and expand their imaginations. This book goes a long way in achieving this goal.

A true five star adventure for the entire family.

————-Patrick (Tom) Notestine, author “Paramedic to the Prince”

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For Dirkle Smat and the Flying Statue:

Can you imagine what might happen if horses could fly? Dirkle Smat and his Explorers Club friends, Toonie Oobles, Bean Lumley, and Fiddy Bublob, along with Dirkle’s younger brother Quid, are back. They have heard rumors about strange sightings in the sky late at night at a certain time each month and are planning to investigate these claims. Do these mysterious occurrences have anything to do with the statue that sits in the middle of town? And is there any truth to the theory that somehow the full moon can bring a statue to life? Bean has invented a special harness for the explorers, so hang on to your hat and be prepared for a wild ride. Yoips!

Author Lynn D. Garthwaite has created another intriguing story that will captivate the minds of youngsters. This second volume in the chapter book series about Dirkle Smat has just the right balance of true-to-life characters and fantasy situations to hold an early reader’s attention. Not only is Dirkle Smat and the Flying Statue fun to read, but also it will stimulate children’s imaginations and might even send them running to the encyclopedia to learn a little more about Greek mythology. A book like that certainly gets a high-five from me.

————-Wayne S. Walker, Stories for Children Magazine

You have to love a story that has characters named Dirkle, Quid, Bean, Fiddy, and Toonie, don’t you? The names alert you to the creative story that lies ahead of you.

Dirkle calls his friends together for another meeting of the Explorer’s Club. When everyone is assembled in the abandoned bus they use for their club house, Dirkle brings up their next adventure. Rumors have spread around the town that a flying horse has been spotted. The group believes that the marble Pegasus statue in the town square has come to life.

The group plans a sleepover in Fiddy’s backyard to allow them the freedom to sneak down to the square to investigate. It’s a full moon and they think that the sightings have happened on the nights of the full moon. It turns out that the group discover far more than even they could have imagined.

DIRKLE SMAT AND THE FLYING STATUE is another story in the EXPLORER’S CLUB series. The story moves quickly, is entertaining, and fun for kids of all ages. Ms. Garthwaite is very imaginative and tells an enchanting story of the mythical flying horse.

The only thing I wish the story included was the chance for the Pegasus to talk. Besides that, I enjoyed the adventure quite a lot.

————-Jaglvr, Teens Read Too

Dirkle Smat and his Explorer Club friends are ready for adventure as they set out to determine the source of the midnight sightings in the sky over their small town. Some believe that it may be the Pegasus Statue in the town square that comes to life on a full moon, but how can a marble statue fly?

Author Lynn D. Garthwaite does a fine job of mixing adventure, gadgetry and perilous situations in just the right proportions for the curious minded young boy, keeping him engaged throughout the 41 pages. A sprinkling of well drawn black and white illustrations throughout, add a visual element to the story that serve to hold the young reader’s attention as well. I especially liked the creativity of adding pages in the back of the book to start your own Explorers Club.

Although the book says that it is for ages 5-10, that is a broad age range and I feel that the nine and ten-year-olds would probably come away with a sense of wanting just a little bit more in the way of plot twists. I would recommend this book ideally for boys in the 6-8 age range who will undoubtedly be looking for other titles in this adventure series.